The Looming Crisis in Geriatric Care: A Deep Dive into the United States’ Geriatrician Shortage

Many thanks to our sponsor Esdebe who helped us prepare this research report.

Abstract

The United States faces an escalating and profound shortage of geriatricians, a specialized medical workforce critically important for the health and well-being of its rapidly aging population. This comprehensive report meticulously examines the intricate, multi-layered causes underpinning this demographic and healthcare challenge. It delves into the far-reaching implications of this deficit, exploring its impact on the quality and accessibility of care for older adults, the fiscal stability of healthcare systems, and broader societal welfare. Furthermore, this analysis evaluates an array of proposed and actively implemented solutions, encompassing fundamental educational reforms within medical institutions, strategic financial incentive programs designed to attract talent, the pivotal role of interdisciplinary healthcare teams in extending care capacity, and broader international strategies aimed at fostering sustainable workforce development. Through this detailed exploration, the report underscores the urgency and multifaceted nature of the challenge, advocating for integrated, robust, and sustainable solutions to safeguard the health of an aging America.

Many thanks to our sponsor Esdebe who helped us prepare this research report.

1. Introduction

The demographic landscape of the United States is undergoing a profound transformation, characterized by an unprecedented growth in its older adult population. This demographic shift, primarily driven by the aging of the Baby Boomer generation and increased life expectancies, translates directly into an exponential increase in demand for healthcare services specifically tailored to the unique physiological, psychological, and social needs of older individuals. Central to meeting this demand are geriatricians, highly specialized physicians whose expertise lies in the comprehensive diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases and disabilities characteristic of advanced age. They are instrumental in managing multi-morbidity, polypharmacy, cognitive impairment, and functional decline, thereby optimizing quality of life and promoting independent living among older Americans.

Despite this critical and expanding need, the nation confronts a severe and worsening shortage of these essential specialists. This deficit is not merely a quantitative shortfall but a systemic vulnerability that threatens to compromise the quality, accessibility, and equity of care for older adults across the country. The ramifications extend beyond individual patient outcomes, posing significant challenges to the structural integrity and financial viability of the entire U.S. healthcare system. This report embarks on a detailed exploration of this impending crisis, dissecting its origins, forecasting its consequences, and scrutinizing the viability and effectiveness of various remedial strategies to mitigate its impact and build a more resilient geriatric healthcare workforce for the future.

Many thanks to our sponsor Esdebe who helped us prepare this research report.

2. Causes of the Geriatrician Shortage

The geriatrician shortage is a complex phenomenon, not attributable to a single factor but rather a confluence of interwoven systemic issues, economic realities, and pervasive societal attitudes.

2.1. Inadequate Training and Fellowship Opportunities

The pipeline designed to produce future geriatricians is demonstrably weak and inefficient, struggling to attract sufficient interest from medical students and residents. The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) for geriatric medicine fellowships consistently illustrates this challenge. For example, during the 2023 match cycle, an alarming proportion—nearly 60%—of available geriatric medicine fellowship positions remained unfilled across the nation (wis.it.com). This statistic is not an anomaly but reflects a persistent trend over many years, indicating a deeply rooted lack of interest among graduating medical residents.

To contextualize this, if over half of the available training slots for any specialty are empty year after year, it means that the output of new specialists falls far short of what is required even to replace those geriatricians who retire or leave the profession, let alone to meet the burgeoning demand from a rapidly expanding elderly population. The numerical disparity is stark: in a given year, perhaps only 200-300 new geriatricians complete their training, whereas projections suggest a need for tens of thousands more in the coming decades to maintain current care ratios. The problem is not necessarily a lack of physical capacity in terms of programs, but rather a critical failure to attract candidates to fill existing capacity.

The typical geriatric medicine fellowship involves one to two years of specialized training after completing a residency in internal medicine or family medicine. This additional training, while crucial for developing the nuanced skills required for geriatric care, often comes at a point in a physician’s career when they are eager to begin practicing and earning a competitive salary. The perception that an additional year or two of fellowship training leads to a comparatively lower-paying specialty can be a significant deterrent.

2.2. Financial Disincentives

One of the most powerful impediments to attracting physicians to geriatrics is the glaring disparity in compensation. Geriatric medicine is consistently ranked among the lowest-compensated specialties in medicine. When compared to fields such as cardiology, gastroenterology, or orthopedic surgery, the earning potential for a geriatrician is significantly lower. This financial disincentive is particularly potent for medical students and residents who often graduate with substantial student loan debt, frequently exceeding USD 200,000 to USD 300,000.

The fee-for-service reimbursement model, which historically dominates the U.S. healthcare system, further exacerbates this issue. Geriatric care is inherently time-intensive, involving comprehensive assessments, complex medication management for polypharmacy, coordination of care across multiple specialists, and extensive patient and family education. These activities are often reimbursed at lower rates than procedural-based specialties or those focused on acute, singular diagnoses. A geriatrician may spend an hour with a patient managing five or more chronic conditions, reviewing complex medication regimens, and addressing psychosocial concerns, yet the reimbursement for that visit might be significantly less than a 15-minute procedural appointment in another specialty. This undervaluation of cognitive and complex care contributes directly to lower revenue streams for geriatric practices.

Furthermore, a significant proportion of older adults are covered by Medicare and Medicaid, which have historically maintained lower reimbursement rates compared to commercial insurance plans. This payment structure disproportionately affects specialties like geriatrics that primarily serve these populations, making the financial viability of such practices more challenging and further suppressing physician income potential. The economic reality forces many physicians to prioritize specialties where they can more rapidly address their debt burden and achieve a comfortable standard of living, often at the expense of pursuing a passion for geriatric care.

2.3. Complexity of Care and High Burnout Rates

Geriatric medicine is characterized by its inherent complexity. Older adults often present with multiple chronic conditions (multi-morbidity), take numerous medications (polypharmacy), and frequently experience cognitive impairments (such as dementia), functional limitations, and complex psychosocial issues that profoundly impact their health. Managing these intertwined factors requires exceptional clinical acumen, patience, empathy, and extensive coordination. A single geriatric patient might present with heart failure, diabetes, osteoarthritis, early dementia, depression, and social isolation, all requiring simultaneous attention and integrated management.

This high level of complexity translates into longer appointment times and a significantly greater cognitive and emotional load for providers. Geriatricians must synthesize vast amounts of information, navigate conflicting treatment guidelines for multiple conditions, reconcile medication lists to prevent adverse drug interactions, and communicate effectively with patients and their often-stressed caregivers. This intense workload, combined with the often-depressing reality of progressive chronic illness and end-of-life care, can lead to elevated levels of emotional strain and professional burnout. The satisfaction derived from helping older adults maintain dignity and function is immense, but the systemic pressures can erode this satisfaction, leading to attrition from the field.

The current healthcare infrastructure often fails to adequately support this complex care. Insufficient administrative and clinical support staff, coupled with electronic health record systems that are not optimized for multi-morbidity management, add to the burden. This environment fosters a sense of being overwhelmed, contributing to the high burnout rates observed across medicine, which are particularly pronounced in specialties dealing with chronic, complex patient populations. When experienced geriatricians leave the field due to burnout, it further exacerbates the existing shortage and drains institutional knowledge.

2.4. Ageism and Lack of Exposure in Medical Curricula

Ageism, defined as discrimination against individuals or groups on the basis of their age, is a pervasive societal issue that unfortunately permeates the medical community and educational institutions. This prejudice often manifests as subtle or overt attitudes that undervalue older adults or perpetuate stereotypes that associate aging solely with decline, frailty, and inevitable loss, rather than a journey that can include healthy and productive years. Such ageist perspectives can influence medical students’ perceptions of geriatric care, leading to a misguided view that the field is solely focused on managing terminal illness or irreversible decline, rather than promoting healthy aging, functional independence, and an improved quality of life.

Medical curricula historically have offered limited and often superficial exposure to geriatrics. Many medical schools dedicate insufficient time to geriatric-specific coursework, clinical rotations, or patient interactions. A 2018 study highlighted that limited exposure to geriatrics during medical school and residency significantly contributed to a lack of awareness and interest in the specialty among trainees (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Students may encounter older patients primarily in acute care settings (emergency rooms, intensive care units), where the focus is on crisis management rather than the longitudinal, holistic approach central to geriatrics. This limited and often negative exposure fails to showcase the intellectual rigor, immense satisfaction, and profound impact of specializing in the care of older adults. Without early and positive experiences with geriatric patients and strong faculty role models, students are less likely to consider geriatrics as a viable or rewarding career path. The ‘hidden curriculum’ in medicine can also play a role, where informal messages and attitudes from senior physicians or peers subtly devalue the care of older patients, further steering students away from the field.

Many thanks to our sponsor Esdebe who helped us prepare this research report.

3. Implications of the Shortage

The deepening shortage of geriatricians portends a healthcare crisis with profound and multifaceted implications for individuals, healthcare systems, and the broader economy.

3.1. Impact on Healthcare Quality and Access

Perhaps the most direct and devastating consequence of the geriatrician shortage is its impact on the quality and accessibility of specialized care for older adults. With too few experts, existing geriatricians face overwhelming workloads, leading to longer wait times for appointments, shorter consultation periods, and potentially compromised care quality. Many older adults may never see a geriatrician, instead relying on general internists or family physicians who, while competent, often lack the specialized training required to address the unique complexities of geriatric syndromes, such as cognitive impairment, falls, polypharmacy, and frailty.

This lack of specialized expertise can result in a cascade of negative outcomes: diagnostic delays for age-specific conditions, inappropriate prescribing (particularly polypharmacy, which is a significant risk factor for adverse drug events and hospitalizations in the elderly), and missed opportunities for preventative care tailored to older adults. Moreover, without expert coordination, older adults with multiple chronic conditions are often shuttled between various specialists, leading to fragmented care, conflicting medical advice, and a higher risk of hospital readmissions and emergency department visits.

The issue of access is particularly acute in rural areas, where the problem reaches critical levels. Over 40% of U.S. counties lack a single geriatrician, creating vast ‘geriatric deserts’ where specialized care is simply unavailable (healthhive.org). This geographic disparity exacerbates health inequities, forcing rural seniors to travel long distances for care, if they can access it at all, or to forgo specialized care entirely. This significantly impacts their quality of life and health outcomes. Furthermore, the absence of geriatric expertise places an immense and often unmanageable burden on family caregivers, who must navigate complex medical systems and make critical care decisions without adequate professional guidance.

3.2. Strain on Healthcare Systems

The ripple effects of the geriatrician shortage extend throughout the entire healthcare system, placing immense strain on its resources and operational efficiency. Without a sufficient number of specialists trained to manage the complexities of aging, other parts of the system are forced to absorb the burden, often inefficiently.

General hospitals, emergency departments, and primary care practices become the de facto points of contact for older adults with complex needs. This can lead to increased emergency room visits for preventable conditions, longer hospital stays due to the intricate management required for geriatric patients, and higher rates of hospital readmissions when discharge planning is not adequately coordinated with geriatric principles. General practitioners, already stretched thin, find themselves managing conditions for which they may lack advanced training, potentially leading to suboptimal care decisions and increased stress.

Long-term care facilities, including nursing homes and assisted living facilities, also suffer significantly from the scarcity of geriatricians. These facilities house some of the most frail and medically complex older adults, yet access to specialized geriatric physician oversight is often limited. This lack of expert consultation can impact everything from medication management to dementia care strategies, contributing to poorer resident outcomes, increased use of antipsychotics, and higher rates of transfers to acute care hospitals.

The shortage creates a cascading effect: more demand on fewer specialists leads to delays, which leads to sicker patients, which then overburdens the general healthcare infrastructure. This cycle not only compromises patient care but also strains the financial and human resources of hospitals, clinics, and long-term care institutions, impacting workforce morale and overall system resilience.

3.3. Economic Consequences

The economic consequences of the geriatrician shortage are substantial and far-reaching, impacting healthcare expenditures, workforce productivity, and the overall national economy. The aging population is inherently associated with higher healthcare costs, primarily due to the increased prevalence of chronic diseases and the need for more intensive medical interventions over time. Without an adequate number of geriatricians to provide proactive, coordinated, and preventative care, these costs are projected to escalate further.

Inefficient and fragmented care, which is a direct outcome of the shortage, leads to preventable hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and the increased use of expensive acute care services. For instance, better management of chronic conditions by a geriatrician could prevent exacerbations that lead to costly hospital stays. A lack of specialized expertise in polypharmacy management can result in adverse drug events requiring emergency medical attention, driving up costs associated with prescription medications and their consequences. Furthermore, the absence of geriatricians means less emphasis on functional maintenance and rehabilitation, potentially leading to earlier institutionalization in nursing homes, which represents a significant financial burden for families and public programs like Medicaid.

Medicare and Medicaid, the primary payers for older adult healthcare, will bear the brunt of these inefficiencies. The current system, without sufficient geriatric specialists, is ill-equipped to meet the growing demand efficiently, leading to spiraling costs for public health budgets. Estimates suggest that proactive geriatric care can actually reduce overall healthcare expenditures by preventing costly adverse events and promoting healthier aging. The failure to invest in this specialized workforce now will likely result in far greater financial strain on the healthcare system in the future.

Beyond direct healthcare spending, there are broader economic impacts. A healthier older population can remain productive longer, contributing to the workforce and economy. Conversely, poor health outcomes among older adults, exacerbated by the lack of specialized care, can lead to premature exits from the workforce, increased reliance on social services, and reduced overall economic contribution. The societal cost of diminished quality of life for a significant portion of the population also represents an intangible but profound economic burden.

Many thanks to our sponsor Esdebe who helped us prepare this research report.

4. Proposed and Implemented Solutions

Addressing the geriatrician shortage requires a multi-pronged, comprehensive, and sustained strategy that tackles the root causes identified above. No single solution will suffice; rather, an integrated approach encompassing educational reforms, financial incentives, innovative care delivery models, and international collaboration is essential.

4.1. Educational Reforms

Reforming medical education is fundamental to nurturing interest and building a robust pipeline for geriatric medicine. This involves strategic interventions at various stages of a physician’s training.

4.1.1. Integrating Geriatrics into Medical Curricula

Increasing exposure to geriatrics throughout medical education is crucial for shaping students’ perceptions and fostering interest. This means moving beyond a single, often brief, rotation to a more comprehensive and longitudinal integration of geriatric principles. Specific strategies include:

• Longitudinal Curricula: Weaving geriatric themes and cases through pre-clinical and clinical years, rather than confining them to a single block. This could involve case-based learning scenarios focused on multi-morbidity, polypharmacy, and ethical dilemmas in older adults. Early exposure to healthy, active older adults can help combat ageist stereotypes.
• Dedicated Clerkships and Rotations: Ensuring that all medical students undertake a mandatory, significant clerkship in geriatrics, ideally in diverse settings such as outpatient clinics, long-term care facilities, and geriatric rehabilitation units. This provides hands-on experience and exposes students to the breadth and depth of the specialty.
• Interprofessional Education (IPE): Training medical students alongside students from nursing, pharmacy, social work, and other allied health professions. This fosters an understanding of team-based care models, which are particularly effective in geriatrics, and highlights the collaborative nature of managing complex older patients.
• Faculty Development: Investing in training for non-geriatrician faculty to teach geriatric principles effectively across various specialties. This ensures that geriatric competencies are integrated into all clinical teaching, making geriatric care relevant across the entire spectrum of medicine.
• Standardized Geriatric Competencies: Establishing core geriatric competencies that all graduating medical students are expected to achieve, regardless of their chosen specialty. This ensures a baseline understanding of older adult care among all physicians. The 2018 study from PubMed indicated that such integration could significantly increase awareness and interest among medical students (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).

By providing early, positive, and sustained exposure to geriatrics, medical schools can highlight the intellectual rewards, emotional satisfaction, and societal importance of specializing in the care of older adults, thereby attracting more talent to the field.

4.1.2. Expanding Fellowship Programs

Beyond simply increasing the number of available slots, strategies are needed to make geriatric fellowship programs more appealing and successful in filling their positions. As noted, the nearly 60% unfilled rate (wis.it.com) underscores the challenge. Key approaches include:

• Innovative Fellowship Models: Developing combined fellowships (e.g., geriatrics and palliative care, geriatrics and psychiatry) that allow physicians to gain dual expertise, potentially increasing their marketability and intellectual appeal. Establishing rural tracks or programs focused on underserved populations can also attract residents passionate about health equity.
• Enhanced Recruitment Strategies: Proactive outreach to internal medicine and family medicine residents, showcasing the unique aspects and rewards of geriatric practice. This could involve mentorship programs, ‘taster’ rotations during residency, and direct engagement with successful geriatricians.
• Increased Funding and Support: Advocating for increased federal funding through agencies like the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for geriatric fellowship programs. Institutions also need to commit to adequate financial and infrastructural support for these programs, ensuring competitive stipends and robust research opportunities.
• Addressing Fellowship Length: Exploring models that streamline training or offer flexible pathways without compromising quality, acknowledging the financial disincentives of additional training years.
• Promoting Academic Geriatrics: Investing in faculty positions for academic geriatricians to conduct research, lead educational initiatives, and serve as mentors, thereby strengthening the academic foundation of the specialty.

4.2. Financial Incentives

Addressing the financial disincentives that steer physicians away from geriatrics is paramount. This requires both direct financial support and systemic reforms to compensation models.

4.2.1. Loan Forgiveness Programs

Leveraging successful models from other primary care fields, loan forgiveness programs can significantly alleviate the financial burden on medical graduates considering geriatrics. These programs would offer to forgive a portion of a physician’s student loan debt in exchange for a commitment to practice geriatrics for a specified period, especially in underserved areas. The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) loan repayment program, for example, has been highly successful in attracting primary care providers to critical shortage areas. Adapting and expanding such programs specifically for geriatricians, as highlighted by workweek.com (workweek.com), could be a powerful incentive. States could also establish their own geriatric-specific loan forgiveness or scholarship programs.

4.2.2. Competitive Compensation

Ultimately, sustainable change requires adjusting the fundamental economic valuation of geriatric care. This involves:

• Medicare Reimbursement Reform: Advocating for changes in Medicare’s physician fee schedule to better reflect the time, complexity, and cognitive effort involved in caring for older adults with multiple chronic conditions. This could involve moving away from a purely fee-for-service model to value-based care models that reward comprehensive care coordination, chronic disease management, and outcomes rather than just volume of services.
• Payment for Care Coordination: Implementing specific billing codes and reimbursement for activities like care coordination, medication reconciliation, and advanced care planning, which are central to geriatric practice but often uncompensated or undercompensated.
• Incentives for Underserved Areas: Providing additional financial incentives for geriatricians who choose to practice in rural or inner-city geriatric deserts, similar to those offered for other primary care specialties in these areas.
• Advocacy by Professional Organizations: Continuous advocacy by organizations like the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) with policymakers and payers to highlight the economic value of geriatric care and push for equitable compensation.

4.3. Role of Interdisciplinary Teams

Given the complexity of geriatric care and the persistent physician shortage, embracing and expanding interdisciplinary team-based care models is not just beneficial but essential. This approach leverages the expertise of various healthcare professionals to provide holistic care and alleviate the burden on geriatricians.

4.3.1. Utilizing Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants

Nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) are highly skilled healthcare professionals who can significantly extend the reach of geriatric care, particularly when they receive specialized training in geriatrics. They can:

• Provide High-Quality Primary Care: Geriatric-trained NPs and PAs can manage chronic conditions, perform comprehensive geriatric assessments, conduct health screenings, and provide preventative care, often under the collaborative supervision of a geriatrician. A 2015 study noted the significant role these professionals play in expanding access to care for older adults (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).
• Specialized Training Programs: Developing and expanding postgraduate certificate programs or specialized tracks for NPs and PAs in geriatric care ensures they acquire the specific knowledge and skills needed for this complex population.
• Team-Based Approach: Integrating NPs and PAs into geriatric practices allows geriatricians to focus on the most complex cases, consultations, and program leadership, while extenders handle routine follow-ups and less complex patient management, thereby optimizing workload and improving access.
• Telehealth Expansion: NPs and PAs can be instrumental in delivering geriatric care via telehealth, particularly in rural or remote areas, further extending access and reducing travel burdens for older patients.

4.3.2. Collaborative Care Models

Implementing truly collaborative, team-based care models is paramount for comprehensive geriatric care. These models bring together a diverse array of professionals, each contributing their unique expertise:

• Pharmacists: Essential for polypharmacy management, medication reconciliation, and identifying potential drug interactions or adverse effects, often leading to reduced medication burden and improved safety.
• Social Workers: Address critical psychosocial determinants of health, including housing, financial stability, social isolation, caregiver support, and access to community resources. They are vital for holistic patient care and preventing crises.
• Physical and Occupational Therapists: Focus on maintaining or restoring functional independence, preventing falls, and adapting environments to promote safety and autonomy.
• Nutritionists/Dietitians: Provide guidance on healthy eating, manage nutritional deficiencies, and address specific dietary needs related to chronic diseases common in older adults.
• Mental Health Professionals: Integrate mental health screening and treatment for conditions like depression, anxiety, and cognitive disorders, which are highly prevalent among older adults.
• Geriatric Care Managers: Often coordinate all aspects of care, acting as a central point of contact for patients and families, ensuring seamless transitions across care settings.

Models such as the Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) effectively demonstrate the power of interdisciplinary teams in providing comprehensive, coordinated care that enables older adults to live independently for as long as possible. These models not only improve patient outcomes and satisfaction but also reduce caregiver burden and can be cost-effective by preventing costly institutionalization.

4.4. International Strategies

The geriatrician shortage is not unique to the United States, and learning from international approaches and fostering global collaboration can offer valuable insights and leverage collective efforts.

4.4.1. Age-Friendly University Global Network

The Age-Friendly University (AFU) Global Network is an international consortium of higher education institutions committed to promoting an inclusive approach to aging and lifelong learning. By adopting and implementing the 10 principles of an Age-Friendly University, these institutions contribute to developing a workforce that is more aware of and responsive to the needs of an aging population (en.wikipedia.org). These principles include:

• Promoting the participation of older adults in all aspects of university life.
• Developing intergenerational learning opportunities.
• Conducting research on aging and dissemination of findings.
• Ensuring accessibility of facilities and programs for older adults.
• Offering educational programs that promote positive attitudes towards aging.
• Encouraging healthy aging across the lifespan.

While not directly focused on producing geriatricians, fostering an ‘age-friendly’ environment within universities can subtly but profoundly influence students’ perceptions of aging, encourage careers in gerontology and related fields, and create a more receptive environment for geriatric medicine programs. It helps combat ageism at an institutional level and elevates the importance of aging-related studies and careers.

4.4.2. Global Workforce Development Initiatives

International collaboration offers significant opportunities to share best practices, exchange knowledge, and collectively address the global challenge of an aging population and the associated healthcare workforce needs. This includes:

• Sharing Curriculum and Training Models: Learning from countries that have more robust geriatric training programs or higher rates of geriatric specialists. For instance, some European nations have a higher density of geriatricians per capita, and their educational models could offer valuable lessons.
• Exchange Programs: Facilitating international exchange programs for medical students, residents, and faculty to experience different models of geriatric care and broaden their perspectives.
• Joint Research and Policy Development: Collaborating on research into effective geriatric care delivery, workforce planning, and policy interventions. Global initiatives by organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) on healthy aging and integrated care provide frameworks for such collaborations.
• Harmonizing Competencies: Working towards internationally recognized geriatric competencies could facilitate cross-border professional development and a shared understanding of best practices in geriatric care.

By engaging with the global community, the U.S. can leverage collective wisdom and innovation to develop more effective and sustainable solutions for its geriatrician shortage.

Many thanks to our sponsor Esdebe who helped us prepare this research report.

5. Conclusion

The United States stands at a critical juncture regarding its capacity to care for its rapidly aging population. The severe and escalating shortage of geriatricians is a pressing issue that demands immediate, coordinated, and sustained attention from policymakers, academic institutions, healthcare systems, and professional organizations. This comprehensive report has illuminated the complex interplay of inadequate training pathways, powerful financial disincentives, the inherent complexities of geriatric care leading to burnout, and the pervasive influence of ageism and limited educational exposure as root causes of this crisis.

The implications of this shortage are dire, threatening to erode the quality and accessibility of healthcare for older adults, placing immense strain on an already stretched healthcare system, and incurring substantial economic costs through inefficient care and diminished societal well-being. The prospect of vast ‘geriatric deserts’ where specialized care is simply unavailable underscores the urgency of remedial action.

Addressing this multifaceted challenge requires a holistic and integrated strategy. Educational reforms, including the comprehensive integration of geriatrics into medical curricula and innovative approaches to fellowship training, are fundamental to cultivating interest and building the future workforce. Concurrently, strategic financial incentives, such as robust loan forgiveness programs and systemic adjustments to reimbursement models, are crucial to making geriatrics a financially viable and attractive career path for medical graduates burdened by debt.

Furthermore, the judicious utilization and expansion of interdisciplinary teams, including geriatric-trained nurse practitioners, physician assistants, social workers, and pharmacists, are essential to extend the reach of specialized care and ensure comprehensive, person-centered approaches. Finally, engaging with international strategies and leveraging global networks, such as the Age-Friendly University Global Network and broader workforce development initiatives, can provide invaluable insights and foster a more globally informed and resilient approach to geriatric care.

In essence, overcoming the geriatrician shortage is not merely a healthcare imperative; it is a societal responsibility. By committing to these comprehensive solutions, the United States can aspire to build a healthcare system that not only meets the current and future needs of its older citizens but also champions healthy aging, dignity, and a high quality of life for all its residents. The time for decisive action is now, to ensure that the demographic triumph of increased longevity is matched by the availability of expert care.

Many thanks to our sponsor Esdebe who helped us prepare this research report.

References

• wis.it.com
• pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
• healthhive.org
• pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
• en.wikipedia.org
• workweek.com